Japanese Tanks remaining on the island of Guam are a reminder
of historical events in WW2

Travel Photos by Dan Collier

Here are some photos of an abandoned Japanese light
tank on Guam. It is located near a golf course where thousands of Japanese
tourists come to play golf.. They have no idea this Japanese relic, used by
their grandfathers is so close to them.. It’s hidden and unmarked in
ten-foot-high sword grass that surrounds the golf course. --dan

Be sure to click on this picture.
Some of the Tappets
on this Japanese tank engine look
good enough that they could be adjusted right now.
I'm super surprised
how good of condition that these parts are in after all of these years of
sitting in the jungle..

Here is a 1941 jeep.
It’s ex-military, of
course.
It’s known as a “scrambled” jeep among the military vehicle
collectors because it has a Willys body mounted to a Ford running gear and
engine..
The best of both worlds.
The classic Willys body with the
beefier, heavier ford box frame, rather than the willys channel frame..
At one time in its military life, this jeep went through a rebuild depot,
and this is the way they put her back together again.
I’ve seen others
like that..
Although they’re looked down
upon by the military vehicles
collectors club, I say that their place in history is just as legit as the
purebreds, because this is the way the army put her back together while
still with the army!

This little jeep is perfect for running around town
and into the nearby mountains.

The war history is what I love about the
islands..
I would walk out into a field, or the beach and see a
war remnant or piece of shrapnel still imbedded in the earth, and it
reminds me that I was right there in the very spot where it all
happened!
US Marines were struggling to get to the high ground
where the Japanese were raining down fire and brimstone, and they
were getting blown to bits hanging on by their fingernails, not
knowing if they’d be alive the very next second..
I’m not a war
monger, but WWII is fascinating for all the interesting stuff that
came out of it..

I’ve wanted an
M-1 Garand for many years, more for its historical significance,
than to shoot...
I finally found one in the gun store about 7
months ago and traced the serial number back to Oct, 1943.
I was
hoping to get a war rifle, but didn’t think I’d be so lucky.
It
has some small parts that are post war, but I have been restoring it
back to 1943 configuration...
There were improvements along the
lifespan of the M-1, and I realize that by reverting back to 1943,
I’ll actually be taking out the improvements..
In the heat of a
battle, I’d probably prefer the updated parts, but for occasional
target shooting,
I’d like to see it go back to its original
design..
The exception will be the barrel, which is an
aftermarket, but I doubt there are many WWII barrels left out there
that haven’t been shot out by now...........